Coin collection device



Dc. 23, 1941. M. H. RHODES 2,267,576

- I COIN COLLECTION DEVICE Filed Jan. 12, 1940 Patented Dec. 23, 1941UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE com COLLECTION nnvrcn Marcus Hall Rhodes,Hartford, Conn. Application January 12, 1940, Serial No. 313,535

4 Claims. (Cl. 232-55) i My invention relates to the class of apparatusemployed in prepayment devices for the collection of coins, amongothers, is to provide means to prevent unlawful extraction of coins fromthe machine.

One form of an apparatus embodying my invention and in the constructionand use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may beattained is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which L Figure 1is a view in front elevation of av parking meter embodying my invention.

and an object of my invention,

Figure 2 is a detail view on enlarged scale of I the upper part of themachine with the door broken away to show construction.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, in partial section on a plane denoted bythe dotted line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a detail view illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the clotted line 5-5of Fig. 4.

While my invention is not limited for use in apparatus of any particulardescription, yet, asit is of particular value in connection with parkingmeters, such apparatus has been selected by me for illustration of myinvention herein. In the use of such devices, and perhaps others, meansare provided for retaining the coin inserted 'for use of the device in asuspended position between the-coin chute and the coin receptacle sothat the coin may be observed through a window for the purpose ofdetermining whether or not a coin or valueless substitute has been used.This coin is released by the next coin employed for use of theapparatus, the released coin dropping into the coinreceptacle and theother coin being retained in its place. I

The coin receptacles are locked so that access cannot be obtained tothem by persons regularly employed for collecting the receptacles.However, when the door is opened by the person for the re- ,moval of thecoin receptacle the suspended coin hereinbefore referred to isaccessible and may be removed and appropriated by such person. Myinvention now about to be described prevents such unlawful appropriationof the suspended coin and providesmeans whereby'such coin is releasedanddeposited in the coin receptacle before the door can be openedsufliciently to provide access to such suspended coin.

In the accompanying drawing the numeral 6 denotes the case'of a parkingmeter in the upper part I of which coin operated mechanism is enclosedand which is operated by a handle 8 out side of the case and projectingthereinto for the operaticnof the mechanism. A door 9 closes the lowerpart of the case and is locked in closed position by a key operated lockincluding a plug or barrel in which may be of common constructionoperable by means of a key. A window I l in the upper part of the doorenables a coin l2 within the enclosure to be observed. A coin receptaclei3 is enclosed in the bottom of the case 6 in position for the coin [2to drop into it through a narrow slot in the cover whichis looked, asherein* before mentioned.

In order that the device inserted into the coin chute H may be retainedfor observation through the window, as hereinbefore statedI. provide aspring retaining finger l5 which is-pressed by the door 9 when closedinto contact with the coin 12 thereby holding it in the positionshown'in Figs. 2 and 3.

The resilient spring-retaining finger l5, it will be noted, curvesinwardly at 3% toward a projecting frame 20. The coin is discharged intothe space between the resilient spring-retaining finger I5 and the frame20, and is held in position there by the portion of finger 15. It willlikewise be noted that finger l5 contacts door 9 at 3| so that door 9positions the resilient springfetaining finger l5 and especially theportion 30 thereof in the'proper relation to frame 20 so as totemporarily hold a coin therebetween, and position it opposite window II. It will be understood of course that coin I2 is discharged into thespace between finger l5 and frame 20 by the coin-operating mechanismoperated by handle 8. When the door is released for removal of the coinreceptacle l3 the spring finger l5 moves outward, thereby releasing thecoin which promptly drops into the receptacle before the door can beopened sufliciently to prevent such action and there is therefore noopportunity for such coin to be unlawfully obtained.

In thearrangement just described the coin is released by an openingmovement of the door,

while in the modified form illustrated in Figs. 4

and 5 the coin is released by rotation of the plug II) to release'thelock, the coin therefore dropping before any opening movement of thedoor oi' the finger IS. A coin releasing lever 2| is pivotally mountedon the frame 20 as shown in Fig. 4, the end 22 being offset toward thedoor 8 as shown in Fig. 5. The opposite end of the lever has a lip 23which is located in the path of movement of a lug 24 on the plug l0, a.spring 25 engaged with the lever pressing the lip 23 into engagementwith said lug.

Contact of the end ,22 with the resilient memher is occurs when the lip23 is elevated, as by contact therewith of lug 24 on plug I0. Thispresses the end 22 downward where it contacts the portion of resilientmember I! which is bent in to form part 32 thereof. This pushes theresilient member toward the door 9 and releases the coin.

The plug I is screw threadedly engaged in a threaded hole in a post 26projecting from the back wall of the case, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5,the key rotating the plug l0 several times before disengagement of thethreads to permit the door to be opened. The lug 24, however, will onits first engagement with the lip 23 cause the end 22 of the lever toengage the finger l9 and release the coin so that the latter is freedand drops into 7 the box well before any opening movement of the door. a

In both forms of the structure herein disclosed the coin is released anddrops into the coin receptacle before any access can be gained to theinterior of the case suflicient to enable removal of the coin, in theform of the apparatus first described a slight opening movement of thedoorv releasing the coin and in the structure last described theoperation of the key plug freeing the coin before the door is releasedfor opening movement.

I claim:

1. A coin collector comprising a case which contains a coin receptacleand a temporary coin holder, said temporary coin holder having resilientcoin-retaining means, closure means for said case contacting saidtemporary coin holder, and means for releasing a coin before saidclosure means opens sufficiently for access to said coin receptacle.

'for said case contacting said temporary coin holder positioned to flexsaid coin-retaining means for retaining a coin when the closure meansare closed, but not when said closure means are open.

4. A coin collector comprising a case which contains a coin receptacleand a temporary coin holder, said temporary coin holder having resilientcoin-retaining means, closure means for said case contacting saidtemporary coin holder comprising a lock, and means for operating saidresilient coin-retaining means to release a coin upon operation of saidlock.

MARCUS HALL RHODES.

